Inadequate Qualified Artisans Contribute to Building Collapse - Works & Housing Minister Honourable Minister of State for Works and Housing, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo has emphasized the need for competent artisans in the Real Estate Sector as one of the ways of preventing building collapse in the country. The Minister made this attribution while speaking to members of the Construction Skills Training and Empowerment Project (C- STEMP) led by a former Minister of state for Health, Arc. Gabriel Yakubu Aduku who paid a courtesy visit to his Office, Thursday 17th February, 2022 Sambo said "we all know that one of the reasons for building collapse in this country is attributable to the prevalence of the use of unskilled artisans." He praised the effort of C-STEMP in coming up with an initiative to fill what he described as a huge gap in the built environment and promised to support them." It has been a huge gap in our industry, the construction industry like we all know requires skilled workers. I want to assure the delegation today that they should see us as their partner," he said. On the request by the delegation for the reconstitution of the Board of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), the Minister promised to discuss with the Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, H.E, Babatunde Fashola, SAN and expressed confidence that it would be treated with priority attention. Accordingly, Sambo reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to completing the affordable housing development scheme in Gwagwalada, Abuja. Disclosing that funding would be made accessible to subscribers through the Federal Mortgage of Nigeria. Describing the construction industry as large employer of labour, Sambo said, "millions of Nigerians will be able to put food on their tables if we have a vibrant construction industry." Earlier, the Director General of the Organisation, Anthony A Okwa, FNIOB informed the Honourable Minister that C- STEMP was spurred by the Construction Ideas Fund (CIF) initiated in 2013 by Growth and Empowerment Scheme and the DFID to address the challenge of severe shortage of skilled manpower in the Real Estate sector of the country. He explained that C-STEMP which has the objective of breaking the paradox of high unemployment and poverty in the midst of severe shortage of skilled manpower in the construction industry, is the pioneer Construction Skills Training provider approved by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). Accordingly, Okwa further said that the Organisation had embarked on several training programmes at home and abroad to boost the supply of competent artisans and craftsmen. He revealed that C- STEMP is currently working with The Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria, (CORBON) and the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) National Skills Qualification, NSQ, Framework through the provision of induction, training and assessment of practicing artisans towards attainment of competence certification in line with National Occupational Standards for construction trade. The Director General also extended invitation to the Honourable Minister of State to attend the year 2022 edition of the Construction Artisans Award scheduled to hold at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja between 28 - 29 of March, 2022. ...

2022 NUGA Games: Fashola Restates FG’s Commitment To Sports Development In Nigeria ...... As Minister receives Torch of Unity for the games from UNILAG’s Local Organizing Committee The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Thursday restated the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to Sports Development in the country saying the administration has innovatively included Sports in the National Economic Development programme. Fashola, who spoke at the Mabushi Headquarters of the Ministry when he hosted the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Local Organizing Committee of Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) who came to present the Unity Torch for this year’s NUGA games, described the game as “one of the many items of National Integration and Development”. Noting that such events as sports festivals, academical games and so many other activities in the nation’s institutions represented efforts to reposition the youths for leadership and other national development roles, the Minister declared, “We must never underestimate the roles that the events played in defining the character of young men and women who are now leaders of today”.  “We cannot have youth unemployment if we do what we should do with sports development”, the Minister said adding that the strategy was that “those that these critical games have produced will, through their camping and travels across the country, help national cohesion, help to break down barriers, help to produce trust”, adding that it would also “help us to see all of ourselves as the same after-all even if we worship differently and speak different languages”. Commending the Minister of Sports and Youths Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, for securing the approval of the Federal Executive Council to include Sports in the National and Economic Programme, Fashola recalled, “It was a tough game to get Council to agree, but finally it is now part of our National and Economic programme”, adding that Sports is more than just the exercise, but also an economy.  He also commended the University of Lagos for its efforts in taking the Torch of Unity across the country saying the effort would “bring into the consciousness of those who matter that this is something that all of us must support”.  Earlier in his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the purpose of the visit was to invite the Minister to the NUGA Games 2022 adding that the presentation of the Torch of Unity was to create awareness ahead of the Games. Describing the Minister as a Sports Lover, the UNILAG Vice Chancellor recalled the numerous contributions to Sports and football development in Lagos State when he was Governor of the State adding that about 75 Nigerian universities would participate in this year’s Games while 50 others would come from outside the country as observers. The highlight of the event was the presentation of the Torch for 2022 NUGA Games to the Minister by his Sports and Youth Development counterpart and a group photograph with the delegation and other guests.   ...

FG To Work Towards Adequate Funding Of Federal Housing Authority-Sambo The Minister of State for Works and Housing, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, has said that the Federal Government will work towards adequate funding of Federal Housing Authority (FHA) for the realization of its mandate. Sambo said this when he was on an official tour to the Headquarters of Federal Housing Authority, Abuja where he was briefed on its activities. Sambo noted that since FHA was established to cater for low and middle income earners, it would therefore need funding intervention from the federal government to develop affordable houses for that category of citizens. The Minister, while responding to the agitation of management concerning the removal of FHA from the appropriation bill, advised the management to put up a position paper that would be passed to the appropriate authority to justify the need for budgetary allocation and seek inclusion into the budget appropriation. "I have advised the management of FHA to put together a position paper that we can use to canvas the appropriate authorities for funds because the Federal Housing Authority was established to cater for the low and middle income earners in the country.” In addition, Sambo advised the management of FHA to adopt a proactive mechanism in planning and managing their resources. The Minister also explained that the Land Use Act has limited the Federal Government Agencies to acquire land in the states for mass housing delivery since land belongs to the states. “The Land Use Act of 1978 is a challenge. In the Act, all lands are under the administration of respective state governments. Here is a Federal agency that wants to develop houses for low-income and middle-income earning Nigerians and it does not have land. It means we are at the mercy of various state governments for us to get land. You cannot build a house on water’” he said. He, however, urged the management of FHA to build a robust relationship with state governors in a way that would be beneficial to both parties because no state governor would turn a blind eye to what would be advantageous to the citizens of the state. Speaking earlier, the Managing Director of FHA, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, advocated for the review of the laws establishing Federal Housing Authority, adding that they are impeding its performance. Ashafa further informed the Minister that inadequate funding has continued to hinder their output.  According to him , the Authority which used to enjoy Federal Government's funding through budget appropriation to finance  social or affordable housing projects could no longer perform its duties in this regard because it was removed from budget appropriation since 2004,adding that it has limited financial resources available for use. Senator Ashafa appealed to the Minister to use his position to ensure that FHA can be included in the budget appropriation, noting that it would help the Authority to construct affordable houses and provide employment opportunities for Nigerians being part   of the key agenda of the government of President Muhammad Buhari, GCFR. Meanwhile, at Zuba Housing Estate, Arc. Adamu Taminu, while conducting the Minister round the Estate, explained that it is comprised of 76 blocks of unit of 2bedrooms, 16 units of 1 bedroom and 18 duplexes of 3bedrooms with 95% completion stage and would be completed in the next three months.  At the Apo - Guzape Housing Estate which is a Public Private Partnership model between the Federal Housing Authority, ENL Consortium Limited and Individual Developers, the Project Manager Federal Housing Authority, Mr. Bello Yusuf, explained that out of the 111 houses constructed under Direct Construction 88 units have been completed, 764 housing units are ongoing under the PPP project. The Federal Housing Estate at Apo- Guzape has necessary infrastructure in place ranging from civil, electrical and mechanical as well as provision of adequate security to make the estate habitable for off takers. Sambo was impressed with the quality of work at the two housing estates he inspected.   ...